The town of Merrillville will soon be looking for a new police chief. Wiley Luther Cuttino told the town council that he plans to step down in early January, then officially retire in early March once he uses up his remaining leave.
"I want to thank everybody — town council, the citizens — for their support. It's been a very interesting learning experience. And I'm working with an excellent team with the Merrillville Police Department, and I'm confident that we will continue to move forward in that direction," Cuttino told council members Tuesday.
Council member Leonard White thanked Cuttino — not only for leading the department but also for his years patrolling the town before that. "When we were interviewing you, I thought that a person that'd been out there that long had to definitely know a lot about what was going on, and knew the community and the people. And I think they're appreciative of you," White said.
Cuttino has been with the Merrillville Police Department for 28 years.